1184 Camino Mirasol, Palm Springs | Old Las Palmas
El Sueno actually feels like a dream. Earning a truly on-the-nose Spanish nickname, this garden-style retreat within the Old Las Palmas neighborhood is a rare, 1930s-era Monterey Colonial Revival steeped in historical significance.
Despite the popularity of this style of home during this specific era, there are few that mimic El Sueno’s architectural design in the Palm Springs area, making this one a considerable standout. Calling cards include the use of Spanish adobe, Colonial details and a second-floor balcony supported by posts. It was designed by master architect Charles O. Matcham.
Most notably, El Sueno simply exudes a sense of romance. From its lush landscape, to its architectural style, its wraparound balcony and its cozy yet sophisticated interiors, the five-bedroom estate creates a whimsical escape from the hardened landscapes beyond. A dash of that whimsy may also be linked to the home’s previous owners, which included Oscar-winning actress Donna Reed, and Frank and Melba Bennett, who was known as the “Grand Dame” of Palm Springs.
A Hollywood Connection
El Sueno was once a garden getaway for Donna Reed, known for starring in her own sitcom “The Donna Reed Show,” as well as the holiday staple “It’s A Wonderful Life” and the film for which she won an Oscar, “From Here To Eternity.” She lived in the home for several years in the mid 1960s to the early 70s, along with her husband and their four children.
The Palm Springs retreat served as their winter home. Reed and her husband had been frequent visitors to Palm Springs in the years leading up to their decision to purchase a permanent home there, and when they moved, El Sueno served as a quiet locale for the actress to unwind and consider her next professional chapter.
It was during this period of unwinding that Reed became an activist for peace as the Vietnam War was being waged overseas. Along with a group of other mothers, Reed became a founding member of an advocacy group known as Another Mother for Peace (AMP). They campaigned, alongside other Hollywood heavyweights, for an end to the war and a more peaceful world for the children they were raising.
Reed and her husband sold the home in 1973 when their marriage came to an end.
The Home To The Pioneer Of Palm Springs Preservation
While Reed and her husband saw El Sueno as a retreat from the public eye, Frank and Melba Bennett — the preceding owners of the home — saw the home as a hub for connection. The Bennetts are known as pioneering Palm Springs residents for their early plant in the community. The two bought into Deep Well Guest Ranch after managing it, and they immersed themselves in the goings-on of every aspect of the city.
The couple was a mainstay at social and civic gatherings, including the weekly “Ranch Party” that entertained injured soldiers during World War II. Melba was deeply entrenched in the philanthropic scene and upon their move to El Sueno found time to pursue her artistic inclinations as well as a desire to travel with her husband. In addition, Melba founded the Palm Springs Garden Club and established the Palm Springs Historical Society, two organizations that celebrated the unique aspects of desert living.
When the Bennetts purchased El Sueno, they sold their old home to an up-and-coming interior designer named Arthur Elrod, who would go on to become the most notable designer in Palm Springs for a period of time. The Bennetts hired Elrod to redecorate the interiors of El Sueno, which included fresh white paint and the skillful integration of heirloom pieces with more modern design.
Interiors aside, the most notable change the Bennetts made to El Sueno was the addition of a kidney-shaped swimming pool and outdoor kitchen area in the backyard. The Bennetts hosted countless events and gatherings at El Sueno, making the most out of their outdoor living room.
An Architectural Gem In The Desert
From an architectural perspective, El Sueno includes a handful of standout features specifically tethered to its design as a Monterey Colonial Revival. With 4,341 square feet of livable area, the home’s signature element is its whimsical wraparound, cantilevered second-story balcony, supported by simple balustrades. The balcony’s west-facing views afford dramatic views of the nearby San Jacinto mountains, adding even more enchantment to the home’s elevated perch.
Its low-pitched, hipped roof is a defining feature for which the architectural style is known, as is the contrast in materials from one level to the next. Where a rustic pumice concrete slump is utilized on the exterior for the first level, vertical board cladding finishes the exterior of the second story. Its asymmetrical placement of windows and doors adds to the home’s character, while second-story primary suites benefit from sets of doors that open to an unbeatable view and — on cooler days — a dreamy breeze.
It’s difficult to overstate the drama of El Sueno’s second-story balcony, for its length and for its front-row seat to the consistently stunning sunsets the mountain-desert experiences. It is no wonder that the balcony at El Sueno is regularly photographed with a series of rocking chairs holding down the fort.
A Landscape The Puts The “Garden” In Garden-Style
That same balcony that looks out onto the nearby San Jacinto mountains also overlooks a lush front landscape that has matured over the decades to include a sizable privacy hedge, grown palms, a grassy yard and other desert-adapted greenery. A set of French doors on the first floor opens to the front, offering an invitation to a protected and quaint desert oasis.
In back, the yard is anchored by that classic bean-shaped pool, set against a brick deck and a variety of desert flora and palms. An outdoor fireplace adjacent to the outdoor kitchen tee up an ideal area for entertaining, and a separate guest house offers additional space for friends or family to appreciate the quiet luxuries of El Sueno.
An Heirloom Estate
The same charm that catches the eye from the exterior extends indoors. With a pair of primary suites on the second level, the first level is reserved for additional bedrooms and living spaces.
Exposed beams and wooden ceilings punctuate the home’s rustic appeal, as does the exposed, contrasting brick that encases the home’s front door. An impressive and spacious chef’s kitchen and butler’s pantry, finished with premium appliances, make everyday living and entertaining an enviable experience. An artistic stone backsplash behind the commercial-grade range, and French doors that spill from the galley kitchen into the backyard, finish the home’s inspired kitchen.
The home’s main living area orbits around a dramatic stone fireplace which, from the exterior of the home, creates a channel of brick that cuts through the second story’s wood paneling. The peek-a-boo fireplace facing the backyard and the fireplace inside one of the home’s second-story primary suites, collectively offer warmth and a welcome sense of coziness.
An enclosed sunroom, situated above a breezeway between the main house and the guest house, offers flexibility for use as an office, a library or an additional sleeping quarters. And a lounge room offers more flex space, with enticing access to the yard through a set of French doors.
El Sueno is a tucked-away dream of a home, insulated from the rush of everyday life and layered with elements of historic and design charm, which supports its nomination as a Class 1 Historic Resource. Its legacy and relevance within the storied past of Palm Springs architecture endures even as it nears the century mark.
At PS Properties, it is one of our favorites for its rarely-seen style, its ties to Hollywood, and the stories it holds within its walls from parties to organizing and beyond. As realtors with decades of experience handling architecturally-significant properties, we recognize the draw of Old Las Palmas and the stamp the neighborhood has had on the city’s architectural fingerprint. It is hard to imagine Palm Springs without it or El Sueno.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed El Sueno in Old Las Palmas?
El Sueno was designed by master architect Charles O. Matcham. The 1930s-era house is a Monterey Colonial Revival, a style that was popular in the period but is rare in the Palm Springs area, which makes the property a considerable standout.
Did Donna Reed live in Palm Springs?
Yes. Oscar-winning actress Donna Reed used El Sueno as a winter home from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s, living there with her husband and their four children. It was during this period that she became a founding member of the antiwar advocacy group Another Mother for Peace. She and her husband sold the house in 1973.
Who was Melba Bennett?
Melba Bennett was known as the Grand Dame of Palm Springs. With her husband, Frank, she owned El Sueno before Donna Reed. Melba founded the Palm Springs Garden Club and established the Palm Springs Historical Society. The Bennetts hired a then up-and-coming Arthur Elrod to redecorate El Sueno’s interiors, and added the kidney-shaped pool and outdoor kitchen.
What are the architectural features of a Monterey Colonial Revival home?
El Sueno’s signature element is its cantilevered, wraparound second-story balcony supported by simple balustrades. Other defining features include a low-pitched hipped roof, a deliberate contrast of materials between floors, with rustic pumice concrete slump below and vertical board cladding above, and an asymmetrical placement of windows and doors.
How large is El Sueno?
El Sueno offers 4,341 square feet of livable area with five bedrooms, including a pair of primary suites on the second level. The property also includes a separate guest house, an enclosed sunroom above a breezeway, an outdoor fireplace and kitchen, and a chef’s kitchen with a butler’s pantry.
PS Properties, also known as Patrick Stewart Properties, has been serving the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley area for more than 20 years. Principals Patrick Jordan and Stewart Smith guide a team of experts who specialize in offering clients guidance when buying or selling distinctive modern, luxury, architecturally-significant or historically-significant homes. In a rare class of Palm Springs area realtors, PS Properties has been included in the $100 million club for three years running and has accrued more than $1 billion in real estate transactions. Learn more at https://www.patrickstewartproperties.com/.
